I enjoy checking my Facebook account every day …. Do you?

I enjoy checking my facebook account a few times per day - Do you?

I like logging on and seeing what my friends have been up to. I enjoy looking at everyone's photos. I read my messages & I scroll through my newsfeed. I'll give a little "like" or an "angry face" or some times I'll just scroll on past .... Its up to me though. If I want to stop and read something I can. If I don't want to, I won't!
Sometimes, I can be right in the middle of a really important message or I can be halfway through reading a post when something happens and I have to stop mid-way through .... ARRGHH! Thats annoying, I was really interested in that message but no worries, I'll come back to it a bit later when I have more time. I have that choice .....

Now, imagine your dog having access to THEIR facebook account just once or twice per day. They want to read their messages. They want to leave a reply or a "like" on their friends posts. They may want to scroll through some of the information but sometimes, they find a really important message which they really need to read.
Someone is nagging them to hurry up. Someone is pulling on their lead and dragging them away half way through a message .... AARRGGHHH! Thats annoying .... They'll never get a chance to read that message again! We might not be walking back this way. We might be doing a totally different route tomorrow. Even if we do the same route the message will be different by then. How frustrating!!

Isn't the main reason we take our dogs out for a walk for their own benefit? Isn't it for their wellbeing? Isn't it because we adore them and we want them to be happy & fulfilled and to enjoy life?

How many of you own a dog and think to yourself: I know what I'll do today, I'll make my dog feel really frustrated!! I'll cause him some upset by taking him out .... I'll show him his facebook account ..... I'll let him see all of those messages & all of those photos waiting for him but I won't allow him to stop & read any of them ... Or, worse still, I'll allow him to read half of a message and then I'll just drag him away, right at the important part ...!"

Who does that?!! WHY would you do that?? For what purpose would you want to build that frustration in your dog?

I want my dogs to return from their walk relaxed, fulfilled, happy. I want them to have enjoyed the walk as much as I possibly can. I want them to have that enrichment - we all know how utterly amazing a dogs nose is and I want my dog to use his nose as much as he wants to and to take in all of those exciting smells. I want him to explore & investigate so that he feels safer in his environment ..... I don't want him to be wondering whats over there .... Is it safe? I've never smelt that before! It might be scary. What is it?? I want him to go and check it out if he wants to so that he can rest his mind.

Pee-Mails are a thing.

Let your dog read his pee mails. Let him read the whole pee mail. Let him leave a reply or a "like" or a "angry face"
Even if it means you don't get very far on your walks some days. Its up to your dog isn't it? We're only out for a walk because of him! If he wants to spend 10 minutes on one lamp post reading & re-reading the same pee-mail over & over today then thats OK. It must be a really important message.

Let them sniff